1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to surface-mounted lighting fixtures and particularly to lighting fixtures having a common housing and wiring cover mountable to or about a ceiling-mounted junction box from which wiring is pulled to connect the fixture electrically to mains power, the housing and wiring cover mounting a wide variety of decorative trims of differing sizes and shapes using identical mounting expedients.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Lighting fixtures including fluorescent lighting fixtures have long been mounted to ceilings such as drywall ceilings and inverted T-grid ceilings such that portions of the lighting fixture extend from the plane of the ceiling to provide an operational function, a decorative function or both Certain kinds of fluorescent lighting fixtures are configured to mount to a ceiling in proximity to a junction box which is mounted to the ceiling either in a recessed configuration or in a configuration which is flushly mounted to planar surfaces of the ceiling. When such fluorescent lighting fixtures are decorative fixtures which can include a wide variety of decorative trims of differing sizes and shapes, it becomes desirable to be able to provide lighting fixture structure which will mount directly to the ceiling or to an inverted T-grid ceiling in the vicinity of a junction box for connection to wiring pulled from the junction box, this mounting structure being capable of covering the wiring while mounting ballast and lamping as well as the various examples of the trim itself while hiding the wiring, lamping, ballast, etc. In other words, the art has felt a need for a lighting fixture having essentially identical structure which permits electrical connection to a recessed junction box or the like in a ceiling and which covers wiring pulled from the junction box to connect wiring present on the fixture and which further mounts lamping and ballast as well as fixture trim of differing type, all of the components of the fixture being essentially identical with the exception of the trim itself. Such a lighting fixture would thus provide a mounting platform which would be substantially identical from fixture to fixture but which would be capable of mounting decorative trim of widely varying description such that the mounting platform portions of the fixture would be identical throughout an installation within which the decorative trim varied widely. It would thus appear to a user of an environmental space within which the fixture of the invention was utilized that a variety of lighting fixtures were provided when only the trims per se might vary between fixtures. Of course, it would be possible to utilize the same decorative trim in each lighting fixture depending upon considerations of aesthetics and lighting design. It is to be understood that the decorative trim used with the lighting fixture mounting platform of the invention can be of virtually any conventional shape including circular, oval, square, rectangular, etc. It is further to be understood that the mounting platform of the present lighting fixture is structured to allow a portion thereof to be directly mounted to a ceiling with a second portion of the platform then being mounted for pivoting motion relative to the ceiling-stabilized portion of the fixture which has already been affixed to the ceiling, thereby facilitating the connection of wiring and subsequent closure of the platform once wiring connections have been made. The mounting platform of the present lighting fixtures is therefore seen to be easily installed due in part to simplified structure which facilitates mounting near to a junction box for connection to mains power and also for mounting decorative trim in spaced relation to a ceiling for decorative effect.
The invention provides a lighting fixture particularly capable of being surface mounted to a ceiling such as a dry wall ceiling or an inverted T-grid ceiling, the lighting fixture of the invention including a mounting platform formed of a fixture housing which mates with a wireway cover to contain wiring within an enclosure formed by the combination of the housing and the cover. The mounting platform thus formed by the combination of the housing and the cover provides a surface on which lamping, ballast and the like can be provided and hidden from view by the mounting to the platform of a variety of decorative trims of differing size and shape, the decorative trims being mounted to bar hanger structures which mount to the platform. In this manner, essentially the same mounting platform structure can be used to connect to wiring from a ceiling-recessed junction box or the like. Further, an essentially identical mounting platform can mount ballast, lamping and the like and also carry pivoting bar hangers which mount any one of a variety of decorative trims, the trims hiding the mounting platform and associated lamping, ballast, etc. while providing a pleasing appearance such as the appearance of a trim floating below the ceiling since the trim can be mounted in spaced relation to the ceiling without any visible means of support.
The particular structure of the present mounting platform allows rapid installation of the lighting fixture with a minimum of skill being required. Beginning with either a ceiling-recessed junction box having appropriate wiring extending therethrough or with the structure of an inverted T-grid as a ceiling, a fixture housing element substantially formed of a planar plate having an enlarged central aperture formed therein is mounted to the ceiling such as by screws, toggle bolts, etc., depending upon the ceiling structure available for mounting. Wiring is pulled from the junction box through the central aperture of the fixture housing and connected to wiring available on an inner side of a wireway cover which mounts ballast and lamping. However, prior to connection of the wiring from the junction box to the wiring from the wireway cover, the wireway cover is mounted along one major edge to a major edge of the fixture housing for pivoting movement such that the wireway cover is positively held in place during the wiring procedure. Once wiring is accomplished, the wireway cover is pivoted to a mating position with the fixture housing and affixed to the housing to form an enclosure within which the wiring is disposed. Lamping is then mounted to the downwardly disposed, major planar surface of the wireway cover by the expedient of conventional lamp holders and the like. The fixture housing and the wireway cover are held together through the simple expedient of appropriate mechanical fasteners such as screws. Hanger bars of substantially U-shape are mounted for pivotal motion at each end of the mounting platform thus formed, the hanger bars receiving mounting brackets appropriately positioned on and fastened to a frame of a trim which is to be mounted by the platform, the ability of the hanger bars to pivot facilitating reception of the hook-like mounting brackets to the hanger bars. A trim, which typically mounts a diffuser centrally within a frame, is particularly intended with use of the present mounting platform to be spaced from the ceiling surface about the periphery of the frame in order to give a desired xe2x80x9cfloatingxe2x80x9d effect and thus to cause the fixture to present a pleasing appearance.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a lighting fixture having a mounting platform particularly intended to mount to a ceiling formed of drywall or an inverted T-grid ceiling, the fixture including a mounting platform capable of attachment to a ceiling such as about a J-box to allow wiring of the fixture to wiring from the J-box and to mount lamping, ballast and the like as well as any one of a variety of decorative trim which can be substituted for use with the mounting platform depending upon the exigencies of a given lighting installation.
It is another object of the invention to provide a mounting platform for a ceiling surface-mounted lighting fixture whereby one portion of a mounting platform is affixed to the ceiling such as about a J-box recessed into the ceiling and a mating portion of the mounting platform is capable of being carried by the fixed portion of the platform and being capable of pivotal motion relative thereto in order to quickly and easily enclose wiring once connected by the simple expedient of pivoting an outward portion of the mounting platform relative to the fixed portions of the mounting platform, thereby to facilitate installation of a lighting fixture configured with the present mounting platform as a major portion thereof.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a lighting fixture particularly capable of surface-mounting to a ceiling and including a mounting platform capable of hiding and/or mounting wiring, lamping, ballast and the like and further carrying on pivoting hanger bars mounted to the platform a variety of decorative trim which include hook-like mounting brackets which are received on the pivotal of the pivoting hanging bars, the decorative trim being capable of mounting with a frame spaced from ceiling surfaces and with the fixture having no apparent means of support, thereby producing a xe2x80x9cfloatingxe2x80x9d fixture having a pleasing visual appearance.
Further objects and advantages of the invention will become more readily apparent in light of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments.